A luminaire is a system for producing, controlling, and/or distributing light for illumination. For example, a luminaire can include a system that outputs or distributes light into an environment, thereby allowing certain items in that environment to be visible. Luminaires are sometimes referred to as “light fixtures.”
A luminaire may be attached or suspended from an overhead location, such as a ceiling. A typical luminaire includes electrical components contained within a housing, a lamp socket coupled to the electrical components and a reflector or diffuser mounted to the lamp housing. For suspended luminaries, one or more cables connecting the housing to an overhead location can also be included. The lamp socket is configured to receive a light-emitting element, such as a lamp, a light-emitting diode (“LED”), or a bulb.
A person must be able to access the internal electrical components of the light fixture to perform routine maintenance on the light fixture and/or to troubleshoot failures of the light fixture. For example, access to the internal electrical components may be necessary to replace a faulty electrical component with a working electrical component. To access the internal electrical components in the housing of a conventional light fixture, a person has to climb a ladder or ride a bucket truck to the overhead location of the light fixture and disconnect the housing from the overhead location. The housing is typically affixed to a junction box by one or more screws or bolts. Once the light fixture is removed, the electrical components of the housing can be accessed. This process, however, is time consuming and cumbersome. In addition, this process is dangerous because the person could accidentally drop the housing from the overhead location while disconnecting it and/or accessing the electrical components. Further, because conventional light fixtures are attached to the housing through the use of screws and/or bolts, the fixtures have a tendency to rattle during periods of vibration. This rattling may cause unnecessary noise and ultimate failure of the components of the light fixture.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art for an improved means for quickly mounting, securing, and accessing components of a light fixture, while also providing a fixture that is less prone to rattling.